At first, I was really into this. Thinking it was from the Illuminati point of view. Soon enough, though, it changed into a trick--really a Christian book in the spirit of the Left Behind series. Quick, unassuming belief in Christianity from a computer geek, an FBI agent, and the town pastor. The villian, the chosen Leader made to look like a cartoonistic fool. Ugg!

Wow, this one surprised me. Who would expect that an expert in financing and budgeting would also have the creative gene to write fiction that is even remotely compelling? A cleverly-crafted conspiratorial story, with a sobering moral.

I thought this book was well written and the characters well developed. Though the tech talk is a bit dated, the ideas on which the story is based could be pulled straight from headlines today.

Another book I had to read for school.
This book may have been very well made in 2001 predicting 2020. It was a little to close to comfort with the stuff thats happening today.
The wrteing was a bit slow, but it picked up in the end.
Also It was quite discriptive of all the deaths. Now, onto the characters.

Jon Elder: the good guy. a pastor that decides enought is enought. And does the smart thing and organize the pro-christain protests. Is also in jail for half the book.

Jeff Wells: My favorite. Smart techy guy who can do all the inside stuff. (and his romance ain't too shabby ;P )

Alton: 1st lady presedent. Not so bright. Used her husbands death to climb to the top (hmmmm)

Crazy Guy from Israel: The name says it all.I'm not telling.Ok! ok.He also was one of the first main-ish characters to die in a nuclear/colbat bomb scene.

Kim Loo: The replacement smart techy piece of trash guy who took over Jeff Wells job.

Amir Hussin: the main antagonist character. One of those slightly creepy dolls you try to salvage from the trash but you eventualy throw it back into the trash, then it comes to haunt you. (This may be one of the most well writen bad guys I read about.)

Lively: Another piece of trash that died. Larry, why did you not... I don't know, kill him at the start? he wasn't that useful to the plot.

Donald Sheppard: And FBI person who is not as crappy and the rest of the FBI guys in this book. Heck! Why is he even in the FBI? Aparently the goverment hire these guys for their temperment.

Karen: Not a karen. smart person. she kinda acts ditzy but not at the same time... How?

Rany Cross: I almost forgot about him! He does some things and then disappears.

I think that is all the characters. The plot was nice. I enjoyed the story
See you next book!

excellent book

It was originally written several years ago but the evil described is very prevalent today in government and society. I regret Mr Burkett’s passing as he had great insight regarding how easily so many can be manipulated to believe what the government and media tell them.
Well worth your time and money.

Did not like it. Terribly amateurish.

This, weirdly, was one of the formative books of my elementary-school years. No, it's not a young adult book. I was just a weird kid.

The year was 1992. I was nine years old, and two months into fifth grade. My parents had just moved us to a new house, which meant a new school, and the kids in my class were about to spend three days taking a standardized test-- the same standardized test I had taken a couple of weeks before at my old school. The new school obviously thought it would be dandy if I would consent just to take the test again, but I refused. So for three days, I sat in the principal's office and read while my classmates clutched No. 2 pencils and stared at row after row of scantron bubbles.

Don't ask why I wasn't allowed to stay home instead of sitting in the principal's office, because I have no idea. But in those days, I didn't really care where I was sitting as long as I was allowed to read. Yes, I say "allowed" to read, because I read so much that my mother would occasionally tear the book out of my hands in exasperation, hoping to jolt me into participating in conversation at the dinner table. The woman who cut my hair when I was growing up told me later that she was always terrified that my hair would come out noticeably crooked, because I insisted on having my head bent down toward my book during my haircuts.

Back to the story. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, hanging out in the school administrative offices at age 9 with a book approximately the size of my head. But this book blew me away. I was riveted. Fascinated. It was, now that I think about it, probably my very first step into a dystopian future. I remember astonishing levels of detail, twenty years later, down to the year, make, and model of the car that figures into one of the escape scenes. (A 1993 Chevy Caprice, if you care, which you don't, because it is the epitome of trivial detail. Still, as a kid I loved the idea of a capricious car, which is probably why I remember it.)

This is the book that first taught me the word "tsunami," a word that no one else around me learned until 2004. This is the book that first caused me to think about how credit cards and debit cards could be used to track someone's movements. This is the book that first sent me fumbling in my pocket for a dollar bill, to examine for myself the weird eyeball on top of a pyramid that was pictured there. Finally, this is the book that is probably at the root of my tendency to develop mild crushes on computer nerds.

So twenty years later, I tip my hat to Larry Burkett. Thanks for writing a book that captivated me completely.

Some of the dialogue was super cringey.

Did not finish....

Four stars because of the many insights in this book. I believe the ending came about a little too easily and quickly, but it was still chilling in its own way.

Excellent read, good characters and well written. Of course, loved the Christian theme. Highly Recommend.

Amazing, eye opening, and exiting. Will be reading again.